[timestamp] is a running journal and reflection on the games I play, news I’ve read, and commentary on hot topics and conversations I have come across. These will be free to read online and printed in a limited monthly edition for $15/mo Patreon supporters!

Games played: Splatoon Raiders (Switch 2)

Well, I made it to a space that many people will call “The End” of the game- credits rolled, but there is more. There is always more. And with a game like this, I am happy to keep checking it out.

The area I thought was the end was the end. I should be a game designer, clearly. It’s a final dig well down into what appears to be an endless dungeon, but there is a bottom. You do it in a few stages, and the reward is a single-player-only final boss battle. This is the most cinematic battle in the entire game. Multiple stages, some challenging platforming, and plenty of combat along the way. It wasn’t too challenging, but it was entertaining and a good way to cap the game's story.

At least, I think it was a good way to cap the story. I skipped cutscenes and mashed “A” through dialog halfway through the game. I got the gist of it. I am a mechanic helping these spunky treasure hunters “get back home.” Along the way, they bond and enjoy hunting for new treasure together. Fun and friendship grow. Treasure continues to be found. It’s not the journey, but the friends you make along the way, etc., etc.

I wasn’t playing this game for the plot, though. The game kept doling out new trinkets, gadgets, weapons, and levels at a solid pace, and I just wanted to keep playing. I thought I was going to shut it off a few times tonight, but that “one more stage” hunger pushed me along for almost another hour. Once I rolled those credits and was introduced to the post-game content, I used that as a clean break. I have a lot to keep up with when I play again.

If you play the game like me, you will likely not be at the level cap before you roll credits. The post-game will first see you hit that cap, maximize your best builds and weapons, and then encourage you to max out all tanks and bonds to finish the three post-game dungeons. These need to be cleared with each tank, so nine total stages remain, and there are super spicy stages that go well above 60+ in level of difficulty, beyond your own player’s cap. This is the challenge for people who may have breezed through the game.

As I sit with it, though, I may take this as a chance to step away from being solely focused on Splatoon Raiders and launch The King is Watching for that final stage, or maybe something new. I wouldn’t say I am burned out- far from it. I just want to keep some variety, and that new Fields of Mistria may be the thing I start multitasking with. Thanks for the rad time, Splatoon. You are definitely one of the best games of the year.